Veggie Burger

Sweet Potato Fries w/ Mustard Sauce

SWEET POTATOES

• 3 large organic sweet potatoes, (sliced into thick wedges // skin on)
• 2 Tbsp avocado or melted coconut oil (any neutral oil with a high smoke point)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 pinch black pepper

“HONEY” MUSTARD SAUCE

• 2 tbsp creamy salted cashew butter (or sub tahini, although I much preferred the cashew butter for a more neutral flavor)
• 1 Tbsp spicy mustard
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or sub agave or honey if not vegan)
• 1 pinch each salt and pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp unsweetened original almond milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and grease a baking sheet.
2. Toss sweet potatoes in oil until all sides are well coated. Season with salt and pepper and toss once more, then arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet (if crowded or increasing batch size, use two or more baking sheets).
3. Bake for a total of 25 minutes, or until golden brown and tender, flipping once at the halfway point to ensure even cooking.
4. While baking, prepare dipping sauce by whisking together cashew butter, mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Thin with almond milk (or water) until pourable.
5. 
   

Serve sweet potato wedges with no honey mustard dipping sauce! Best when fresh, though leftovers keep in the fridge, covered, for up to a few days. Reheat in the oven.

Original Recipe

Veggie Burger

BASE

• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 ½ cups)
• 1 cup cooked short-grain brown rice

VEGETABLES/NUTS

• ½ cup grated carrot
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped mushrooms
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts

BINDER

• 1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal or bread crumbs

SEASONINGS 

• 1 clove garlic, crushed, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke

MOISTENER

• 2–3 tablespoons ketchup or barbecue sauce

CRISP COATING

• ¼ cup cornmeal or garbanzo flour (more as needed)

Instructions:1. Lightly pulse the beans in a food processor, leaving some chunks for texture, or partially mash them with a potato masher. Place the beans into a large bowl, along with the rice.
2. Finely chop the raw vegetables. I use my food processor, first cutting the vegetables into 1-inch pieces and then pulsing until finely chopped. Add the vegetables and nuts to the bowl with the beans and rice.
3. Add the binder and seasonings to the bowl, and knead to make the mixture workable for forming burgers. Add the moistener, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the burgers don’t hold together well. Chill for an hour or more, if time allows.
4. Form the mixture into palm-size patties about ⅜-inch thick.
5. Place the cornmeal or chickpea flour coating on a plate. Gently coat both sides of each burger, one at a time. Roll the edges against a flat surface to make a round shape with flat sides, and pat the coating onto the sides as well. This adds a nice crispy surface and helps the burgers keep their shape.
6. Cook the burgers in a nonstick pan over medium heat for 5 minutes, then turn and cook the other side for 4 to 5 minutes more. You can also bake the burgers on a baking sheet at 350°F for about 20 minutes.
7. Serve on buns or alone with your favorite condiments. Expect a savory, soft texture and a thin, crisp crust.
Notes:Rice: Short-grain brown rice has a stickiness that holds the burgers together; substituting long-grain rice or another grain may result in a burger that falls apart more easily. For a more savory flavor, cook the rice in vegetable broth instead of water.
Nuts: While the nuts add texture and flavor, you can eliminate them to reduce fat content.

Original Recipe

Veggie Burger 2

• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 15-ounce can black beans
• ½ onion, diced
• ¼ cup corn
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons salsa

Instructions: 

To cook the brown rice, bring ½ cup of rice and 1 cup of water to a boil in a pot. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer. Once water is absorbed, taste rice to see if fully cooked. If not, add a little more water and let simmer until it’s ready. Boil beans until soft or drain canned beans. Pour beans in a medium size bowl and mash them with your hands, potato masher, or fork.

Preheat oven to 350º F. Lay a piece of parchment paper on sheet pan.

Sweat the onion in a sauté pan. Sweat means the moisture comes from the veggies so no oil is needed. Just remember to keep a lid on the pan. If the onions do start to stick, add a little bit of water. When onions become translucent add corn and spices. Cook for a few more minutes.

Add cornmeal, salsa, veggies, and rice to bean bowl. Mix everything together so there is an even consistency. Feel free to do this with your hands. Then form mixture into patties. A good thickness is about ½ inch and I like to make mine around 3 inches in diameter.

Place patties onto parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes at 350ºF. Flip the patties and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve between two leaves of romaine lettuce with tomato, onion, ketchup, and mustard. Or try putting the burger on a bed of fresh spinach instead of the bun…. delicious!

Original Recipe

Veggie Burger 3

BURGERS

• 1 cup cooked + cooled quinoa (divided // see notes for cooking instructions)
• 1 15-ounce can black beans (rinsed and dried)
• 2/3 cup raw pecans
• 1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil (plus more for cooking burgers // or water)
• 1 heaping cup sliced and peeled sweet potato (cut into 1/4-inch rounds)
• 2 heaping cups thinly sliced cremini or button mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp coconut aminos (optional)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
• 2 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 3 Tbsp vegan-friendly BBQ sauce (I like Annie’s organic original BBQ sauce // plus more for glazing)

FOR SERVING (optional)

• Vegan-friendly hamburger buns OR lettuce wraps (and gluten-free if needed)
• Veggies of choice (i.e. onion, cabbage, tomato, pickles)

Instructions

1. If you haven’t yet, cook quinoa and set aside to cool (see notes for instructions).
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and spread rinsed, dried black beans onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake beans for 6 minutes. Then add pecans to the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes more. The nuts should be fragrant and golden brown (be careful not to burn), and the beans should appear dry and cracked open (this way, they do not become mushy in the burger mix). Set aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 C).
3. In the meantime, heat a medium to large cast-iron or metal skillet over medium/medium-low heat. Once hot, add oil (or water) and the sweet potato. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning heat down if the potatoes are browning too quickly. Once browned on the underside, flip and cook for 3-4 minutes more or until tender and golden brown. Remove from the pan.
4. To the still-hot pan, add the sliced mushrooms and coconut aminos (optional - sub a little salt otherwise) and cook on medium/medium-high for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until they’re browned, fragrant, and cooked down to half their size. Set aside.
5. To a food processor, add beans and pecans and blitz/pulse into a loose meal (some texture is good - you don’t want a powder).
6. Next, add cooked sweet potato, mushrooms, half the quinoa, sea salt, chili powder, cumin, and BBQ sauce and pulse a few times to combine (again, some texture is good here - you're not going for a purée).
7. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the rest of the quinoa. Then taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more cumin for smokiness, chili powder for heat, BBQ sauce for sweetness / depth of flavor, or salt for saltiness.
8. If the mixture appears too wet, add more quinoa. If it looks too dry, add more BBQ sauce (or a little coconut aminos) to moisten.
9. Divide the mixture into four even balls and form into patties with your hands or by lining a 1/2 cup measuring cup with plastic wrap, packing the mixture inside, then lifting the plastic wrap out - mash slightly into more of a disc. Refrigerate burgers for 30 minutes.
10. Once chilled, heat the cast-iron or metal pan from earlier over medium heat. Once hot, add a bit more oil (or water) and the burgers. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook for 4-5 minutes on the other side. Then turn off heat, glaze/brush with a bit more BBQ sauce, and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake at 375 F (190C) for 10-15 minutes more. The burgers should appear browned.
11. Serve as is or with toppings. We enjoyed ours on buns with butter lettuce, shredded red pepper, shredded cabbage, pickles, radish, and more BBQ sauce. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
    
    
    Original Recipe